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Belhaven Twisted Thistle

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Big, punchy tropical fruit and citrus aromas: lots of pineapple, peach and grapefruit. Piney resin and moderate sweetness balance a big bitterness on the palate. Reimagined at 4% as a session IPA, brewed with a special blend of hops and barley malt, in 30-litre kegs in the UK. A 5.6% version is brewed for export, on keg only.

ABV
4%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Resinous hop bitterness
SRM
golden6
PaceSession
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
tropicalpineycitrusy
tropical
piney
citrusy
peach
resinous
hoppy
Aroma
The nose leads with bold tropical fruit—ripe pineapple and peach—layered over bright grapefruit citrus.
also:malty
not found:juicy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Belhaven Twisted Thistle

◎ Appearance

Pale golden hue with excellent clarity and fine, persistent carbonation. A stable white head forms quickly and clings to the glass throughout service, leaving delicate lacing on each sip.

pale goldenclearpersistent headfine carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with bold tropical fruit—ripe pineapple and peach—layered over bright grapefruit citrus. A distinct piney resin undertone emerges, supported by subtle grain sweetness that frames without overwhelming the assertive hop character.

pineapple, peach, grapefruitpiney resintropical fruit-forwardcitrus-driven

◐ Taste

Entry is clean and crisp, with immediate tropical and citrus notes that build mid-palate into a pronounced, lingering bitterness. The moderate malt sweetness arrives to balance but does not dominate; the overall impression is of a beer that punches well above its 4% alcohol weight.

crisp entrypronounced bitternesstropical-citrus palatebalanced sweetness

◑ Finish

The finish is dry and resinous, with bittering hops persisting into the aftertaste. The fade is clean and relatively short, refreshing rather than harsh.

dry finishpiney aftertasteclean fade
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
82
Taste
77
Appearance
80
Finish
75
Serve at 7–10°C

Serve well-chilled. Session IPAs are at their best cold — the lower ABV means less warmth to balance the hops.

Tulip glass

The curved shape concentrates hop aromas and supports a thick head. Essential for aromatic ales and IPAs where the nose is half the experience.

Drink fresh. Session IPAs are brewed to be consumed young — the hops are at their best now.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Belhaven Twisted Thistle

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About Session IPA

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Session IPA?

IPAs are hop-forward ales with 5.5–7.5% ABV and IBU 40–70+. Bold hop aroma — citrus, tropical, resinous — with firm bitterness and a dry, clean finish.

Finding a similar Session IPA

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same tropical, piney, citrusy character as Belhaven Twisted Thistle will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Session IPA beers in hopIQ →Browse Scotland beers →